When Sleep Comes
by Zelda Ophelia
Summary: Sleep isn't coming easy for Jane. Is there anything Bran and Will can do to help?


  
Disclaimer: Nope, I own nothing. They all belong to the wonderful Susan Cooper - all hail Susan Cooper.  
  
___  
  
When Sleep Comes  
Zelda Ophelia  
  
  
She came awake slowly, reveling in the feeling of two pairs of arms wrapped around her - protecting her. One set of lips pressed against her forehead, as if their owner had fallen asleep mid-kiss; the other breathing softly against the nape of her neck.  
  
Snuggling deeper into the warm embrace of the comforter and her friends, she remembered back to how this had come about, one week prior. It was three o'clock in the morning in her study nook on the fourth floor of the Oxford library and she was edgy. She heard her name and looked up to see him - all pale skin, white-blond hair and dark glasses - looking down on her - hopped up on caffeine pills and fighting to stay awake and avoid her dreams.  
  
___  
  
"Your roommate said I could find you here," he murmured as he sat on the wooden chair next to her and gingerly patted her shoulder. After a few awkward moments, he placed his arm around her and pulled her against him, forcing her to relax in his arms. "She said you haven't been sleeping..."  
  
He dropped off there, not wanting to voice what had occurred earlier. Not wanting to say that he hadn't known the girl was her roommate until earlier that evening. Not wanting to even say he hadn't known she was at Oxford, hating to acknowledge the fact that the group of friends had grown apart over the years.  
  
_It had been at a study session for his psychology lecture, one of the girls had come across a reference book about dreams. She had been excited about finding the book, explaining that her roommate needed to read it. Going on, she told them how the poor girl had woken up the entire floor of their college two weeks prior - screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
That had been only the first of several nightmares, every night for four days straight. Finally, on the fifth night she had gathered her things and said she was going to the library to study. She hadn't spent a night sleeping in her own bed since. But, the girl at the study session continued, she had taken to napping during the day, getting a few hours of restless sleep in so she could keep going.  
  
"Sounds like your roommate has problems," Philip, another member of their study group, said offhandedly, as he looked up the answer to a question on the study guide. "Who is she?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sure none of you know her. Her name's Jane Drew."  
_  
_____  
  
Their polite round of small talk long since over, Bran just kept his arm around Jane as she struggled against sleep's firm grasp, the many days with only few hours rest finally catching up with her. "Shh, Jane, I'm here. Go ahead and sleep. I won't let you have any nightmares."  
  
She eventually dropped off to sleep, succumbing to Nod's inevitable lure. He just held her close, studying the room around them and eyeing the comfortable overstuffed couch sitting against the far wall. He didn't want to risk waking her up, not when she was finally getting the first restful sleep she'd had in days. But he had a feeling that he wouldn't be sleeping much that night either, so he might as well be comfortable. Giving in to the temptation, he lifted his slumbering friend up into his arms and settled in on the couch, laying her head on his lap. The rest of the night was spent, on his part, stroking the mousy colored locks and gently shaking her out of the nightmares as they came.  
  
By the time she had woken up it was nearly nine o'clock the next morning. Neither asked the other any real' questions or discussed what had transpired. Instead they made small talk as he helped her load her things in her canvas bookbag, stifling his yawns as he did so. They both knew, without speaking, that she would be there again that night, and that he would come to defend her from the demons that kept her from sleep.  
  
His roommate was already in class by the time he returned to his college, something he was thankful for as he set his alarm and slipped into his bed for a nap. He had a light load that day, none of his classes started until noon, and he normally wouldn't see Will until dinnertime. Which was a good thing, he decided as he let the soft confines of his bed draw him into sleep. He wasn't up to answering the usual questions of Where were you' and such that were sure to come from a worried roommate.  
  
The two friends continued to meet in the cozy study kiosk in the library, and it was several nights before either of them brought up the subject of Jane's nightmares and what was causing them. Every evening they would study together for a time, no discussion beyond the weather or classes. She never discussed her brothers, or how her memories of the summer spent in Wales seemed to be disjointed and foreign to her. And he never mentioned that he was living with Will or asked her about the dreams she feared. After studying they would curl up together on the couch, her head on his lap as she slept. And he would watch over her, noting that she was beginning to look healthier and more human every day, with the dark circles under eyes fading as she stopped forcing herself to avoid sleep in any way.  
  
It was on the fourth night that everything changed. She wasn't looking over her notes or reading her book, instead she was starting off into space, her eyes focused on something behind him that only she could see.  
  
"I see him." She spoke softly, her voice filled with fear. "In my dreams, I mean. He's always there, threatening-" her voice cracked as she broke off.  
  
Her fear and anguish was so strong he could nearly taste it. Wrapping an arm around her he once again led her to the couch and held her close. "Who is he?"  
  
"I don't know." She shook her head slowly, trying to grasp at the traces of her nightmares that had been whisked away by the daylight hours. "I mean, I feel like I know him, like I should know him, but I don't. Something about him feels so familiar, yet so strange and terrible at the same time."  
  
"Tell me about him."  
  
She gazed into space again, her eyes becoming unfocused as she began to describe the man stalking her dreams. "He's riding a horse, it's huge and black - big, like a draft horse. He wears all black clothing - a black cloak, and his face is blurry, no matter how close I get. But his hair, it's red - not a bright red, but a deep red - almost auburn. And he just feels evil, has an air of evil around him." She paused, as if contemplating what she just said. "I don't think I ever really believed in auras, until I saw him, but I can see his and it is evil."  
  
She laid her head on his lap and, as if by talking of it she knew she had warded off the nightmares for that night, fell asleep quickly, lulled once again by the safety and protection of his presence. He, on the other hand, felt troubled, for something about that man seemed familiar to him as well. It was the Black Rider, he mused, suddenly wondering just who the Black Rider was and how he knew of him. Will would know, he decided.  
  
___________  
  
A few nights later Will found himself dividing his attention between his roommate, pounding away at the computer they shared, and the clock above their door. It was more than an hour passed the time Bran usually left for parts unknown for the night. And while he never mentioned it, Will had a feeling that whatever it was he did, it was important and he wouldn't want to be late.  
  
"Bran," he said, pushing a strand of the straight brown hair that had flopped down into his eyes out of his way as his roommate looked up at him. "It's nearly midnight."  
  
He would have never realized it was possible for Bran to get any paler than he normally was, but he did. "Blimey," he muttered, looking at the clock. "I'm late."  
  
Bran was still working on a paper, which was, Will noted, which was due the next day. He had burst into the room several hours earlier, cursing a blue streak because a bad computer disk had eaten the file. There had been an older version on the hard drive, but he still had to rewrite a good portion of it from memory. It would be impossible for him to finish before dawn; much less in time for whatever it was he did.  
  
Looking up from his history book, he saw Bran studying him intently.  
  
"Will, I need you to go in my place, I'm not going to get this finished in time."  
  
He was astounded to say the least. "Go in your place? Bran, I am not going to go snog your girlfriend for you."  
  
His roommate pulled a face, upon finding out what he thought Bran was doing. "Not my girlfriend." Bran paused to take a breath.  
  
"It's Jane."  
  
"Jane... Jane Drew?" Will asked, amazed that his friend was there, that Bran knew she was and hadn't yet said anything.  
  
"Yeah. She's been having nightmares and just about stopped sleeping all together. Will, she does nearly everything possible to keep from falling asleep and after two weeks of no sleep she really can't keep it up."  
  
"She's stopped sleeping? But is there" He trailed off, not really sure how to formulate his question.  
  
"Well, she can sleep if-" Bran faltered as if trying to sort out his thoughts. "-if someone's holding her."  
  
Will could tell that Bran was getting worried and impatient as he continued. "Just go to the library. On the fourth floor there's a study kiosk in the northeast corner. She'll be there. I can usually get her to lie down on the couch there, try to do the same - you'll both be more comfortable. Take your textbook and finish your reading while she's asleep. I'll come by and sit with her when I finish this so you can get some rest."  
  
"You've been staying up all night with her?" Will looked his friend over carefully. While he didn't exactly look worse for the wear, he didn't look great. "No, I'll stay with her tonight, you get some sleep."  
  
"It's okay, Will. I usually get some quick cat naps in during the night and then sleep before class." But Will continued to give him a look that said he wasn't taking no for an answer. They both glanced at the clock, 12:05. "She's only talked about the dreams once," Bran said as a warning. "Don't bug her about them, but let her talk if she decides to. She slept a lot better the night she did. Just get over there before she gets desperate, or else you'll have a tired, jumpy, scared and paranoid Jane on your hands. It's like she's scared the nightmares are going to come even though she's awake. And trust me, Jane like that is not a pretty sight."  
  
Will saw the concern in Bran's eyes and headed on over to the library. Just as Bran had said, Will found Jane on the fourth floor. As he walked up behind her he could see her removing some pills from a packet, about to wash them down with a Coke.  
  
"Hey," he said quietly, wincing as she started in fright. He closed his hands over hers, taking the pills he recognized a sleep suppressants from her fingers, "You don't need those."  
  
As he looked into her eyes he could see exactly why Bran was worried. Her fear was tangible in the instant before she recognized him and relief washed over her face.  
  
"Will?" she asked, incredulously.  
  
"Bran's got a paper to finish, he asked me to come in his place." Looking at the schoolwork liberally spread around her, he couldn't help but wonder how much she had gotten done in the last hour while waiting for their friend to show. Her notepad was covered in doodles, not notes, and while she hadn't inherited her mother's artistic talent the way he knew Barney had, he could recognize what appeared to be a dark horse with an unfinished stick-figure rider.  
  
Tendrils of fear unfurled within his gut. Something about the crude, unfinished picture was familiar to him.  
  
Pushing it from his mind, he helped her out of the chair and walked with her over to the couch. Sitting, he motioned for her to lie down, and was surprised when she did so - using his lap as her pillow. The soothing motion of his fingers in her hair quickly had her asleep.  
  
Will watched his friend as she slept, thinking about how they had grown apart. It was mostly the fault of distance, and the letters between him and the Drews had slowed down to just greetings at birthdays and Christmas. Until James went to school.  
  
Will's older brother had met Simon Drew in a lecture and they - recognizing each other from Will's descriptions - had become fast friends. Simon had even come to visit the Stantons over break once and was now sharing a flat with James. Upon attending Oxford Will, and then Bran, had renewed his friendship with the older boy. The four had been known, on occasion, to get together on the weekends - passing the time as college boys are wont to do. But Simon had never once, that Will could remember, mentioned Jane in any way other than in passing, small talk to say she was doing fine. And she was anything but fine.  
  
As dawn approached, the sky through the window lighting up gradually, he pondered the protective feelings that had welled up in him upon seeing Jane. She seemed so tiny and fragile as she lied there next to him. Her hair, the mouse-brown he remembered as always escaping her ponytail was now shoulder length, fanning over her face, like a curtain sheltering her from a storm. She had had an almost pathetic look about her when he had first seen her that night, clutching the pills that would ward off sleep and protect her from the dreams that had been her plague. She had murmured in her sleep several times, restlessly fighting something until he shook her shoulder gently and whispered, "It's only a dream" in her ear.  
  
She needed to be protected, he decided, and it was up to him and Bran to do so.  
  
The question was: protect her from what?  
  
____  
  
Bran was there at seven the next morning, gently shaking his roommate awake. He had a stack of papers - the rough draft to hand in - in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Will had a class at 8:30, and Bran didn't want him to miss it - not with end-of-term exams coming up.  
  
It was Jane who woke first, her greeting of "Oh, hi Bran," drawing Will from sleep as well.  
  
"Morning," he whispered to his two bleary eyed friends. "It's 7:00 Will," he smiled as his roommate looked confused, before the meaning dawned on him.  
  
"Oh," he turned to Jane, "I've got to go, I have class this morning." He wished momentarily that he had Bran's schedule - with all his classes in the afternoon as opposed to the morning as he did now, but then saw the benefits of having different schedules like they did. This way there'd always be someone available for Jane, for when she felt comfortable with discussing the nightmares with one of them.  
  
They both sat up and Jane moved to gather her things as Will gratefully sipped the coffee Bran had provided. "Thanks," he said. Once the cup was empty he ruffled the top of Jane's head and gave her a quick hug. "Are you going to be okay?"  
  
Jane nodded as she hugged him back. As he left he could see Bran helping her get everything in her bag. The picture, buried among notes and books, was long forgotten.  
  
________  
  
That night, as they waited for the time when Bran usually left to meet Jane in the library, both wondered just who would be the one to go. Will knew that Bran hadn't slept any the night before, as opposed to his usual catnaps in Jane's arms, due to the paper. And Bran didn't want Jane to think he was deserting her. Finally, at 10:30, Will made a decision. "She's usually over there by now, right?"  
  
"She usually gets there between now and 11:00, depending on her homework and study groups." Bran watched as he stood, then moved to intervene, "No, I can go tonight."  
  
Will, held up a hand to stop him. "I was just going to bring her here. We'll all be more comfortable that way."  
  
His roommate thought this over before nodding in agreement. "Good idea."  
  
Decision made, Will left for the library. He reached their area just as Jane did, she was barely unzipping her bag when he stopped her hands once again. Wordlessly he grabbed her hand and jerked his head to the stairs, an unspoken statement she understood. Together they walked to the boys' college and up to their room.  
  
Bran had thought ahead to their return. The two single beds had been pushed together to form one large bed and he was getting out some clothes for her to change into. All three colored and looked at each other awkwardly as the implications of their plan hit home. But none of them backed out. Taking the boxers and t-shirt Bran held out to her, Jane hurried into their adjoining bathroom to change out of her jeans and button-down shirt.  
  
When she returned they had both changed in to similar sleepwear as well. The air was thick with their embarrassment for a moment, before dying away as they just hung out for a while, talking about classes and family. Bran was the first to nod off, his sleepless nights catching up with him. Seeing him fall asleep, Jane joined him in the big bed, enjoying the feeling of safety that enveloped her when he unconsciously reached out to her. Then the lights were turned out and she could feel Will climb in on her other side, an arm curling around her also.  
  
For the first time since the nightmares had begun she felt well and truly safe.  
  
____  
  
That had been three nights ago, and Jane had come to relish the feeling of sharing a bed with her two friends. Never had they moved beyond sleeping in each others' arms. There had not been any need to. They all took enough comfort in each other's proximity not to need anything more. She hadn't mentioned the dreams since that night with Bran, but she knew she would soon. Just not yet.  
  
Movement startled her out of her reverie and she could feel Will stir behind her, his arm tightening around her waist. He nuzzled her neck before pushing her hair from her eyes. "Morning."  
  
It was morning now, and she could feel Bran place a chaste kiss on her forehead before stretching to chase the last bits of sleep away. No, not yet. It was morning now and she knew the nightmares came only under the cover of darkness. There would be enough time before the darkness returned to discuss them.  
  
The End  
  



End file.
